Bilbo's recent activity

  1. Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music

    Bilbo
    Link
    The debut album “Growing Pains” by RYMAN. It’s fantastic and if anybody has similar music recommendations I’m all ears!

    The debut album “Growing Pains” by RYMAN. It’s fantastic and if anybody has similar music recommendations I’m all ears!

    1 vote

  2. Comment on What are we in a golden age of? in ~talk

    Bilbo
    Link Parent
    The audio is surprisingly good! I’ve never had anybody complain and feel like I can talk at a normal volume without yelling across the room to the phone’s mic.

    The audio is surprisingly good! I’ve never had anybody complain and feel like I can talk at a normal volume without yelling across the room to the phone’s mic.

    1 vote

  3. Comment on What are we in a golden age of? in ~talk

    Bilbo
    Link Parent
    Backpacking a large section of the PCT is easily the most memorable time of my life, mostly because of the people I met along the way. 30 days felt like a decade’s worth of life.

    Backpacking a large section of the PCT is easily the most memorable time of my life, mostly because of the people I met along the way. 30 days felt like a decade’s worth of life.

    1 vote

  4. Comment on What are we in a golden age of? in ~talk

    Bilbo
    Link Parent
    I got a little magnetic phone mount that goes on top of the tv, then use an Apple TV for FaceTime which gives the option to use my phone as a webcam. It’s pretty great to just be able to sit on...

    I got a little magnetic phone mount that goes on top of the tv, then use an Apple TV for FaceTime which gives the option to use my phone as a webcam. It’s pretty great to just be able to sit on the couch and have the whole family chat with the other person on the TV. Now I just wish other people would adopt the setup so I can stop looking at people’s foreheads on a 55” screen.

    4 votes

  5. Comment on What are your current pain points with Linux? in ~tech

    Bilbo
    Link Parent
    I just want to echo that it simply isn’t an option for serious music production. I got sick of Windows, so decided to try a Mac and have actually been enjoying it more than expected over the past...

    I just want to echo that it simply isn’t an option for serious music production. I got sick of Windows, so decided to try a Mac and have actually been enjoying it more than expected over the past 6 months or so. I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to the keyboard shortcuts though.

    10 votes

  6. Comment on What creative projects have you been working on? in ~creative

    Bilbo
    Link Parent
    The best thing I did to learn more about music theory was buy a little keyboard. Learning music theory on the keyboard is so much more straight forward compared to guitar, and I was able to...

    The best thing I did to learn more about music theory was buy a little keyboard. Learning music theory on the keyboard is so much more straight forward compared to guitar, and I was able to translate that knowledge to guitar very easily.

    2 votes

  7. Comment on What creative projects have you been working on? in ~creative

    Bilbo
    Link
    Lots of recording music. I'm hoping to build the confidence to post some on YouTube or SoundCloud or something. I've always played music but diving into the recording aspect of it has been a...

    Lots of recording music. I'm hoping to build the confidence to post some on YouTube or SoundCloud or something. I've always played music but diving into the recording aspect of it has been a rabbit hole. It's crazy how much there is to it, and even crazier how much misinformation there is on the internet to navigate through.

    2 votes

  8. Comment on What board games have you played recently? in ~games.tabletop

    Bilbo
    Link
    Tabletop Simulator has been a life saver for board gaming with friends during the pandemic. Most recently we played Root for the first time. It seems like a great game, but does take a little time...

    Tabletop Simulator has been a life saver for board gaming with friends during the pandemic. Most recently we played Root for the first time. It seems like a great game, but does take a little time to learn. I’ve also been playing a lot of 7 wonders duel with my fiancé.

    5 votes

  9. Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music

  10. Comment on Feeling totally stuck trying to work out music production in ~hobbies

    Bilbo
    Link Parent
    Learning piano may be the best thing you could do if you’re struggling and you don’t actually have any formal experience with an instrument.

    Learning piano may be the best thing you could do if you’re struggling and you don’t actually have any formal experience with an instrument.

    2 votes

  11. Comment on <deleted topic> in ~humanities

    Bilbo
    Link Parent
    You put into words what I've been feeling for a a couple of years now. I've definitely fallen out of my faith as a Christian, and I think it's largely because of the things you've described. When...

    You put into words what I've been feeling for a a couple of years now. I've definitely fallen out of my faith as a Christian, and I think it's largely because of the things you've described. When people ask if I'm a Christian now, I don't even know how to respond. Even though I seek to be Christ-like, I'm finding it very, very difficult to regain my faith. I just wish there was a church that focused on community, self-improvement, and helping others. Mine used to be like that, and now it's coo-coo. And all the other ones I've been to are coo-coo too. It's so sad that it's common to include politics in the church. I don't know if it's even possible to rejoin the church. I've had more self growth through my own studies and talking to people online like this than I've had at church. I've found it very rare for people to be open to discussing their doubts in their faith, other religions, and anything that doesn't agree with the Bible. People are so afraid to question and discuss, so it feels very cult-like. How do I distinguish being a Christian with just being a good person who thought Jesus was a pretty cool guy and that I should strive to be like him?

    7 votes

  12. Comment on Do you wear glasses? in ~talk

    Bilbo
    Link
    I do wear glasses, but I haven’t been able to find a pair that I like. In fact, I see people with glasses on that I like and think would look good on me, but can’t find similar glasses anywhere! I...

    I do wear glasses, but I haven’t been able to find a pair that I like. In fact, I see people with glasses on that I like and think would look good on me, but can’t find similar glasses anywhere! I might not be looking at expensive enough places, since I usually just check Warby Parker and Costco.

    1 vote

  13. Comment on Barry - HBO - dark comedy/action series starring Bill Hader in ~tv

    Bilbo
    Link
    This show is amazing. I can’t wait for season 2, whenever it’s supposed to come out. Noho hank is probably my favorite character.

    This show is amazing. I can’t wait for season 2, whenever it’s supposed to come out. Noho hank is probably my favorite character.

    3 votes

  14. Comment on What are some albums you can completely lose yourself in? in ~music

    Bilbo
    Link
    The head and the heart - the head and the heart. Their first album.

    The head and the heart - the head and the heart. Their first album.

    2 votes

  15. Comment on Let's stop pretending working mothers are getting a fair go in ~life.women

    Bilbo
    Link Parent
    I’m not in any situation similar to yours to say I know what it feels like, but I’m sorry, man, that sucks. I can imagine how frustrating that could be. I had a friend in high school who’s mom...

    I’m not in any situation similar to yours to say I know what it feels like, but I’m sorry, man, that sucks. I can imagine how frustrating that could be.

    I had a friend in high school who’s mom worked as a judge, made excellent money, and worked a lot. His dad worked at a grocery store and was the one to pick up the kids, take them to soccer practice, cook, etc. It was certainly atypical in the area I lived, but I loved seeing how happy the family was and how that slight change in socially accepted roles wasn’t even a topic of talk around them. Reading your post made me wonder for the first time how much shit this guy has gotten and how much stuff he had to deal with similar to what you mentioned in your post.

    Anyways, I don’t have too much to add, but I’m sorry you have to deal with that. It may sound like a small thing to complain about, but I could totally see how it could be frustrating.

    3 votes

  16. Comment on Are you satisfied in your career choice? in ~life

    Bilbo
    Link Parent
    Thanks for the response, it sums up something that I am now frustrated with: being told to find your passion, your calling, your hobby, and you will never work a day in your life. Just because you...

    Thanks for the response, it sums up something that I am now frustrated with: being told to find your passion, your calling, your hobby, and you will never work a day in your life. Just because you love something doesn’t mean you need to do it 40 hours a week as a career.

  17. Comment on Hey tilda swintons - what would you do if you were awarded $130,000,000 in post-tax lottery money? in ~talk

    Bilbo
    Link
    I purposely haven’t read other people’s comments to avoid biasing my response. I would take the lump sum. I wouldn’t tell anybody except my fiancée. hire a lawyer hire a financial advisor to...

    I purposely haven’t read other people’s comments to avoid biasing my response.

    • I would take the lump sum.

    • I wouldn’t tell anybody except my fiancée.

    • hire a lawyer

    • hire a financial advisor to invest a large amount of that money

    • pay off my student loans

    • start working part time and spending the rest of my time traveling and enjoying life

    • maybe try to start my own little solo business

    • write a novel

    • buy a house

    • do research on charities and give

    2 votes

  18. Comment on Are you satisfied in your career choice? in ~life

    Bilbo
    Link Parent
    What are some of the things that have changed over the years in education that make it less appealing? I was thinking I would teach part time at the college level or something, but I’d love to...

    What are some of the things that have changed over the years in education that make it less appealing? I was thinking I would teach part time at the college level or something, but I’d love to hear more about your perspective in middle and high school education.

    1 vote

  19. Comment on Are you satisfied in your career choice? in ~life

    Bilbo
    (edited )
    Link
    This is a question I’ve been asking myself continuously the past month or so. I’m still technically a student, but I’m done with my classroom education and now have a year of internships until I...

    This is a question I’ve been asking myself continuously the past month or so. I’m still technically a student, but I’m done with my classroom education and now have a year of internships until I can begin working and getting payed as a physical therapist.

    There are so many settings in my career path that I’ve yet to see. I always thought I’d do outpatient orthopedics, but I’m in it right now and feel like a glorified personal trainer at the place I’m at. Most of my patients are post-op because of our clinic’s relationship with surgeons and we treat multiple patients per hour because of poor reimbursement rates from insurance. However, I absolutely LOVE when we sometimes get a patient with a weird pain unrelated to any surgery. It’s like a mystery. We figure out what’s causing the pain and educate the patient on how they fix it. It’s so rewarding to hear somebody say they can now play soccer with their kids because they’re no longer in pain or being able to get back to the activities they love.

    If I could work in a place that did this kind of therapy all day, I’d like to think I’d be incredibly happy. But right now, it feels like most of my day is giving post op patients incredibly simple exercises and watching lie there as they do them. I don’t feel challenged nor do I feel like I need an expensive doctorate to do this kind of work. Perhaps I could start my own little cash pay practice that markets toward the types of patients I enjoy treating, although I don’t feel like I’m gaining the skills necessary at my current place.

    I also worked in acute care in a hospital setting. Most of my job there was basically walking patients, getting them out of bed, teaching them what not to do with their new metal hip, etc. It was very easy and repetitive, but at least I knew I was making a difference. I took the CS50 class online during this internship because I needed some kind of mental challenge, thinking perhaps I could eventually learn enough to have a backup career in case I can’t find a job I enjoy. But man, programming got old quick. It felt like I was trying to manufacture problems that didnt really exist just so that I’d have a problem to solve. I could only imagine how much worse this would be working for a company.

    I’ve yet to be in a neuro setting yet, and I hope I get to before I graduate. I would imagine working with patients with spinal cord injuries and strokes and whatnot would be rewarding and more challenging than what I’ve seen so far.

    I’ve always loved school and thought teaching would be an incredible career. I hear horror stories about how hard it is to get a job teaching, how long the hours are, and how poor the wages are. So I didn’t pursue that. However, I may be able to teach some classes with my clinical doctorate in the future.

    I’ve also wondered if I could make a career out of writing novels and self publishing on amazon.

    There is oh-so much to think about. If anything, I feel fortunate that my field is very easy to find a job in. Also, it pays decently (although schooling is incredibly expensive compared to the salary, fortunately I got into one of the cheapest schools). Lastly, it’s flexible. I can work as much or as little as I want, and working 30 hours per week is a huge goal of mine so I can spend more time with my fiancée and our future child. This can allow me to try opening my own practice on the side, try out writing on the side, etc.

    I’ve always been one to stress about whether or not I made the right decision.

    2 votes

  20. Comment on Are you satisfied in your career choice? in ~life

    Bilbo
    Link Parent
    What is it that you did not like about mechanical engineering?

    What is it that you did not like about mechanical engineering?